Automatic fill arrangement for ice trays



July so, 1968 R. b. FISHER 3,394,558

AUTOMATIC FILL ARRANGEMENT FOR ICE TRAYS Filed Sept. 21, 1966 ne, ma azw WITNESSESS INVENTOR RICHARD D. FISHER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,394,558 AUTOMATIC FILL ARRANGEMENT FOR ICE TRAYS Richard D. Fisher, Worthington, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporatiou of Pennsylvania 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 581,100 Claims. (Cl. 62-233) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE.

Automatic ice tray filling mechanism and in which the timer motor controlling the duration of the timed fill operates for a period both before and after the valve actuation periods to reduce the likelihood of the timer motor sticking.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic filling arrangements for ice trays.

It is known to provide automatic filling. arrangements for ice trays in which manual dumping of the ice cubes from the tray conditions means for automatically filling the tray when the tray is subsequently positioned to receive the water. The control of the fill water supply is responsive in some arrangements to the weight of the tray and the water, while in other arrangements the fill is timed to provide the proper quantity of water..Both the weigh system and the time system have their respective advantages and disadvantages. With the weigh system inaccurate measures of water occur when ice accumulates on the tray in areas other than in the cube compartments. Another disadvantageous possibility with the weigh system is an over supply of water due to icing interfering with tray movement in accordance with the weight of the water admitted to the tray.

With a timed supply system, the duration of time that the water supply valve is held open controls the amount of water admitted to the tray independently of any movement of the tray or its weight. Thus icing interference is substantially eliminated. However, with the timer system the possibility exists of the timer sticking while the fill valve is open.

An object of this invention is the provision of a timed fill arrangement in which the chance of the timer sticking during a fill period is reduced.

In accordance with the invention, the fill arrangement includes atimer means having a total time cycle in excess of the required time for the fill of the tray. Means are provided to condition the timer for energization each time the tray is dumped. When the tray is returned to a position to receive the water, the timer is energized for a period prior to the actuation of the means which permits water to enter the tray. Since a timer sticking condition frequently occurs at the very beginning of a time cycle, due to the inertia of the timer, the provision of the running period prior to the actuation of the means permitting the water to enter the tray reduces the chance of the timer sticking during the time the water is being supplied. The same concept is applied at the end of the timed fill by providing for the timer to run after the valve shut off.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a currently preferred embodiment by way of example, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating a drawer type freezer compartment provided with an automatic fill ice tray arrangement according to the invention, with the tray being shown in a position during inversion and immediately prior to releasing the cubes;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of a linkage arrangement which may be used to condition the timer for a subsequent fill when the tray is dumped; and

3,394,558 Patented July 30, 1968 FIG. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of a circuit which may be used in accordance with the invention.

The invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in connection with the refrigerator having a bottom mounted freezer drawer 10 with the ice tray assembly adapted to generally overlie the freezer drawer basket 12 in which frozen food is stored. The ice tray assembly supporting frame 14'is slidably carried independently of the freezer drawer so that it may be left in a recessed position in the top part of the freezer compartment when the freezer drawer is pulled out to afford access to the food in the freezer basket. When the frozen ice cubes in the tray 16 are to be dumped, the ice tray assembly is pulled forwardly to overlie the opened drawer and the tray is swung, from its original horizontal position overlying the right side of the basket, to and through the position shown in FIG. 1. The forward corner of the tray is depressed to flex the tray and release the ice cubes in known manner. The cubes fall into a removable storage bin 18, which is also supported on the slidable frame 14.

The tray 16 is mounted to permit its inversion by having its one edge portion molded around a front-to-rear extending square shaft 20 having its front and rear ends journaled in upright posts connected to the frame 14. When the tray is dumped linkage means generally designated 22 moves in accordance therewith and conditions the timer 24 for a subsequent fill. The timer is mounted in the top portion of the freezer compartment behind the front horizontal mullion 26 dividing the fresh food compartment and freezer compartment.

After the tray 16 has been dumped and returned to a horizontal position overlying the right side of the basket, the tray assembly frame 14 may be pushed rearwardly into its recessed or fill position in the freezer compartment. Movement of the tray 16 into its fill position closes a tray position switch 28 through engagement of a depending leaf arm 30 by the tray. Setting of the timer 24 by the linkage, and closure of switch 28 initiates the fill cycle as will be explained in detail in connection with FIG. 3.

First however, attention is directed to FIG. 2 illustrating the relationship between the linkage 22, the timer 24 and the tray physical movement. The square rod shaft 20 is fixed to the one edge of the tray 16 to rotate with the tray when it is inverted. The rear of the rod has a projecting tab 32 welded or molded thereon so that it rotates with the rod 20. After about 135 rotation of the tray from its normal horizontal position in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, the tab 32 engages the forward end arm 33 of pivot rod 7 34. The pivot rod 34 rotates in a clockwise direction as indicated by its arrow in FIG. 2 upon engagement by the tab 32, and the rear end arm 35 of the pivot rod moves into engagement with a depending actuator paddle 36 of the timer 24. Movement of the paddle through an angle of about 30 closes a switch in a circuit to the timer motor to permit subsequent energization of the motor when the tray is moved back into its fill position within the freezer compartment. When the ice tray 16 is turned back from its inverted discharge position to its normal position, the pivot rod 34 rotates back to a rest position under the force of a spring 37 and timer paddle return force. Thus both the tab 32 on the tray shaft and the paddle 36 of the timer are disengaged from the linkage 22 when the tray 16 is returned to its normal horizontal position, and before the tray assembly is moved back into a fill position.

Electrical power for the circuit of FIG. 3 is supplied by conductors 38 and 40. One series circuit includes an on-oif switch 42, tray position switch 28, timer motor switch 44 and timer motor 46. Another circuit, in parallel with the timer motor 46, includes the solenoid switch 3 48 and the solenoid 50 in series. The solenoid valve 50 is installed in a length of tubing 52 which has one end connected to an ordinary house water line while the other end terminates in a spout 54 which overlies the tray 16 when the tray is in a fill position in the freezer compartment.

The manner in which the timer assembly works is as follows. Both timer motor switch 44 and solenoid switch 48 are located in the timer assembly 24 to be actuated independently by cam means driven by the timer motor 46. When the paddle actuator 36 is moved by the linkage during a tray dump, the cam means diagrammatically shown by the broken line 56 permits the switch 44 to close. The solenoid switch remains open since it is controlled by a separate cam means 58. The timer motor 46 is now adapted to be energized through the timer motor switch 44 when the ice tray is pushed back into the freezer compartment to cause closure of the tray position switch 28. Upon energization of the timer motor 46, the timer motor rotates both cam means 48 and 58 and after about 4 to 6 seconds, the cam 58 permits the solenoid switch 48 to close and accordingly the solenoid valve 50 is energized to supply water to the tray 16. After a period of 20 to 30 seconds (depending upon the adjustment of the timer assembly 24 to give larger or smaller ice cubes) the cam means 58 again opens the solenoid switch 48 and terminates the supply of water. The timer motor 46 continues to run for a further period of, say 7 to 10 seconds after the solenoid switch 48 opens. Then the timer motor switch 44 is opened through its respective cam means 56 and the entire system is deenergized until the next cycle. From the description it will be apparent that the desired mode of operation can be obtained with various timer designs, but it is noted that one commercially available timer assembly which admirably suits the purpose is Model Rl--38723 available from Kingston Products Corporation of Kokomo, Ind.

It will be appreciated that with the timer motor switch 44 being closed and the timer motor 46 running both when the solenoid switch 48 closes at the beginning of the fill and when the solenoid switch 48 opens at the end of the fill, the likelihood of the timer motor stalling at the beginning or at the end of the fill (the most likely periods if the timer motor were not energized and running at these times) is substantially reduced. A run time after fill shut ofi' is also desirable from the standpoint of relaxing timer tolerance requirements. The provision of a tray position switch actuated by movement of the ice tray 16 into its fill position (as distinguished from a switch actuated by movement of the freezer drawer itself) is advantageous in that it permits observation of the fill in case of a possible malfunction of the system. The tray position switch also terminates any fill during the middle of the cycle if the tray assembly is pulled forwardly at this time, and permits the completion of the fill when the assembly is returned.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic ice tray filling arrangement of the type in which the tray is movable between a fill position and an invertable discharge position, with energization of solenoid valve means for effecting the water fill being conditioned upon said tray having been both dumped and returned to the fill position, the improvement comprising:

an electrically powered timer motor;

first switch means for controlling 'energization of said timer motor; 7

second switch means controlled by operation of said timer motor for controlling said valve means; and

means for operating said first switch means to a position in response to a condition of said tray to receive water to energize said timer motor for a running period before said timer motor operates said second switch means to a position to initiate the fill period to reduce the possibility of said timer motor sticking at the beginning of the fill period.

2. In an arrangement according to claim 1 including:

means for operating said first switch means to a position to deenergize said timer motor after a running period of said timer motor following operation of said second switch means to a position terminating the fill period, to reduce the possibility of said timer motor sticking at said fill termination.

3. In an automatic water fill arrangement for anice tray:

an electrical timer motor;

first switch means for controlling energization of said timer motor;

solenoid valve means for controlling a supply of fill water to said tray;

second switch means operated by said timer motor for controlling the position of said solenoid valve;

means responsive to a condition of said tray to receive water to place said first switch means in a position to energize said timer motor;

said timer motor having a total cycle time in excess of the required fill period and including means for operating said second switch means to'a position effecting opening of said valve after a predetermined running period of said timer motor to reduce the possibility of said timer motor sticking with said valve open at the beginning of said fill period.

4. In an arrangement according to claim 3:

a first circuit including, in series, a tray position switch having a closed position when said tray is in a position to receive water, said first switch means, and said timer motor; and

a second circuit in series with said tray position switch and said first switch means, and in parallel with said timer motor, said second circuit including said second switch means and said solenoid valve in series.

5. In an arrangement according to claim 3:

said means for operating said second switch means includes means for effecting closing of said valve before said timer motor completes its time cycle, to reduce the possibility of said timer motor sticking at the end of said valve open period.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,163,025 10/1967 'Dahlgren 62344 3,226,937 1/1966 Conifer et al 62-233 2,487,408 11/1949 Askin 62233 2,907,183 10/1959 Roberts 62-233 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

